


In a Land Far Away

by mardemaravilla



Series: Footballers in Fairy Tales [2]
Category: Football RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-10
Updated: 2013-08-10
Packaged: 2017-12-22 23:42:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/919418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mardemaravilla/pseuds/mardemaravilla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>"Unconditional kindness deserves unconditional reward."</i> A poor woodcutter finds an injured man in a snowstorm.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In a Land Far Away

Once upon a time, in a small cabin near the forest, there lived a young woodcutter named Esteban. Esteban was gentle and kind, but very poor. Although he could not afford very much, he always had enough to eat. He would spend the little money he earned on meat and vegetables, and the village baker would give him a loaf of bread every week in exchange for the wood Esteban would bring for him to light his ovens. It was a quiet, humble life, but Esteban was happy.

One winter’s evening, a terrible snowstorm began. Esteban had just finished delivering wood to the villagers so that they could keep warm during the storm, only to realise that there was none left for him to use.

“I must go into the forest,” he thought. “Even if it is just some small branches, I must have wood to light a fire or I shall surely freeze tonight!”

He wrapped himself in his shabby wool coat and set off into the forest to look for firewood. He found some kindling that had not yet been soaked by the snow, and he chopped a slender sapling into pieces small enough to tie in a bundle and carry on his back. By now, the sun had almost set, and night was falling fast between the trees. The wind was cold and the snow billowed in front of the woodcutter’s eyes, making it difficult to see. 

As Esteban hurried through the forest, he heard a voice calling out.

“It must be the wind,” he thought. “Certainly no-one would be outside in this dreadful weather!”

Still, Esteban looked around, for he could not bear the thought of someone being lost in the snowstorm. He found a man lying in the hollow of a tree-trunk, clutching at his leg.

“Please help,” the man said. “I am lost and injured and I would be in your debt if you should give me shelter from this storm.”

Esteban adjusted the bundle on his back and helped the hurt man to his feet. They walked back to the cabin through the snow, and Esteban lit a fire before attending to his guest’s injuries. He carefully cleaned the wounded leg, bandaged it with clean strips of cloth, and helped the man to lie on the bed.

“Who are you, stranger?”

“My name is Xabi,” said the man. “I was hunting in the forest when I fell from my horse. I hurt my leg and my horse ran off.”

Xabi was well built for being a huntsman; tall and strong with broad shoulders. He had keen brown eyes and a short, neat beard.

“You are welcome to stay here until your leg has healed,” Esteban said.

Xabi thanked the woodcutter warmly. The baker had given Esteban a fresh loaf of bread that day, so the young man set a pot on the fire and began making a broth for supper. After dinner, although Xabi offered to move from the bed, Esteban lay down by the hearth and the two men fell asleep in the warm cabin while the storm raged outside.

The snowstorm blew for two days, but Esteban and Xabi got along well. Esteban was pleased to learn that Xabi enjoyed reading. He shared his small collection of books with the hunter and they were both happy to have such enjoyable company during the storm.

Many weeks passed and still Xabi stayed at Esteban’s home. The woodcutter went out in the mornings to chop trees, and he spent the afternoons delivering his supplies to the village folk. In the evenings he would return home and prepare a meal, and the two would chat until they fell asleep. Daily, Esteban helped to change the dressing on Xabi’s wounded leg and slowly, it began to mend.

When the seventh week came, Xabi’s leg was fully healed, and so he announced his departure.

“I shall be sad to see you go, dear friend. I hope that you will return to visit someday.”

Xabi smiled and thanked Esteban kindly and promised to come by when next he could. Esteban walked with the hunter to the edge of the village and returned alone to his small cabin. Life resumed as normal until the next week when he awoke to find a basket of vegetables and smoked meat outside his cabin door.

“Where did this come from? Who could have left these things outside of my door?” he wondered.

Esteban went into town to ask the villagers, but no-one knew anything about the basket. The woodcutter returned to his cabin and emptied the basket of food. At the bottom, he found seven gold coins.

“Someone has certainly misplaced their belongings,” Esteban said. “I shall put it all back as I found it and leave the basket outside the door until its owner claims it.”

However, the weather was warm and there was not much money to be made from selling firewood in the summer. Whatever little money he had saved before had been spent trying to buy enough food to feed both Xabi and himself for seven weeks. Now, Esteban could not afford his usual ration of meat and vegetables. He tried to be content with just the loaf of bread from the baker, but soon his hunger was too much, and he thought of the basket still sitting outside of his door.

“I shall have just enough to stay my hunger,” he thought. “And the rest I shall leave for its owner.”

So Esteban made himself a hot stew using some vegetables and meat from the basket and he felt full and happy as he fell asleep that night. The next day, the same problem arose. The woodcutter tried to be content with his loaf of bread, but in the end, his hunger proved to be too much and he had to dip into the basket again.

“Just once more,” Esteban told himself. “For if I don’t have something to eat I shall surely faint.”

Still, every day his hunger overwhelmed him until, at the end of the week, all that remained in the basket were the seven gold coins.

“I shall put these in a safe place, so at least when the owner comes, I can return the money, if not the food.”

The next week, Esteban arose to find another basket of food at his front door.

“Where did this come from? Who could have left these things outside of my door?” he wondered.

Again, Esteban found himself hungry and throughout the course of the week, he slowly consumed the contents of the basket. Again, at the bottom of the basket he found seven gold coins.

"I shall put these in a safe place with the other coins," the woodcutter said, "So that I can return the money, if not the food."

And so it continued. Every week for seven weeks, the woodcutter found a basket outside his door. Inside, along with the food and the seven gold coins, Esteban often found other things, such a richly bound books or precious trinkets like rings and jewels. The food was carefully rationed and consumed by the poor man, but he hid the valuable items away in a trunk with the hope of returning them to their owner.

One morning, when he had eaten the very last bit of food from the seventh basket, Esteban heard the sound of hooves and trumpets outside of his cabin. He opened his door and there, flanked by many guards, sat Xabi astride a beautiful white stallion.

"Good morning to you, dear Esteban."

"Xabi?" The woodcutter could hardly believe his eyes. Xabi was cleanly washed and combed and finely dressed in a gold-trimmed cloak. Around his neat auburn hair a jewelled crown sparkled in the sunlight. "What are these riches that you have found, friend? Or have I been deceived to think that you were a huntsman all the while?"

Xabi smiled fondly and dismounted his horse.

"You must forgive me, but it is indeed the latter. I told you that I had been injured while hunting, but I am not a hunter. Truthfully, I am king of a neighbouring realm, but I was truly on a hunt with my royal court the day I fell from my horse in the storm."

Remembering his manners in spite of his shock, Esteban sank in a bow. Hurriedly, Xabi strode forward, lifting the woodcutter from his hunched position.

"Nay, do not bow to me, I must insist. It is I who should bow to you." Xabi dropped to his knees and lowered his head much to the alarm and surprise of his guards. The king sternly silenced them and returned his attention to the woodcutter. Esteban blushed deeply as Xabi met his gaze and addressed him. "You took me in and cared for me without knowing who I was. You gave me the best of what you had when you barely had enough for yourself. You asked nothing of me in return. Daily, I found myself awestruck by your selflessness and your pure heart. It is I who has been sending you baskets of food to repay you for the kindness you have shown to me during my stay with you."

Esteban recalled the small bundle he collected from the weekly baskets.

"I have eaten all the food, I must confess, but I have saved all the money and the trinkets. Please, my king, accept them from me with my humble apology. I could not stay my hunger without the food, but I cannot replace what I have eaten either. Allow me to provide wood for your fires during the winter months as recompense."

Xabi shook his noble head, "The gold and the gifts are yours to keep, Esteban. They are but a token of my affection for you." He took hold of Esteban's hand, "I have not been able to put you from my mind since I left your cabin. I have come here today to ask you leave your axe behind and come to my castle." Esteban stuttered and stared and Xabi smiled softly. "Unconditional kindness deserves unconditional reward. Come with me. Let me make you a prince. You shall want for nothing under my care."

Esteban nodded and Xabi smiled joyfully. He rose from his knees with utmost grace and stroked Esteban's fine curls with a hand weighed heavy with jewelled rings. He embraced the woodcutter gently.

 

At the end of summer, they married in a beautiful woodland wedding. King Xabi placed a crown of gilded leaves in Esteban's hair and kissed him deeply. 

"I present to you, Prince Esteban," Xabi announced and when the new prince smiled, all who came to the ceremony remarked on how beautiful he was.

 

**The End.**


End file.
